Guardian Angel
by Time To Surrender
Summary: Storm brings home two mutants. One was left unscathed by the destruction and chaos in his own life but his sister came out with all faith and hope drained out of her. Can a certain angel help her?
1. January

Chapter 1 – January

**Chapter Synopsis: Storm was simply out with her class on a field trip when she encounters two mutant teenagers who seem to need her help. She brings them back to the mansion where the story unfolds…**

& Key Points: First of all, Angel came off to me as the shy, sensitive, sweet guy next door kind of guy. So that's how he's going to be portrayed. As for Kitty and Bobby…I hate them. I know that most people like them so I won't be mean to them but I really do hate them. With a passion. &

He opened up his sketch book, carefully flipping through the pages. Each displayed the same creature upon the page, the same beautiful and breathtaking creature the entire mansion had come to know as January. Page after page was marked with her image, sketched roughly in pencil, messily portrayed in charcoal, or colored vibrantly in watercolors. In some she was lying beneath the willow tree on campus, arms folded behind her head and eyes closed. In others she was sitting at a desk, concentrating on whatever she happened to be working on. His drawings were spectacular but he never thought he did her justice.

He fingered the next to last page, the pad of his thumb gently stroking the painted cheek of his repetitive model. What had once started as examples for his class had become something he felt he needed to do. He was just grateful that she had agreed to pose for him for the very first time he had ever drawn her. Her hourglass figure, a pair of the longest legs he had ever encountered, stretched across his first page and began to take shape as quite possibly his best sketch. But her face had been the hardest to capture for he had a hard time making it perfect. It was hard to perfect something that was already, in his eyes, perfected. Her eyebrows, thin and arched over her large eyes as if to frame them. Her lips, full, always pulled into the sweetest smirk he had ever seen. Her facial expressions were so complex that he needed much time to decipher each and every aspect of every one. The way one eyebrow was usually positioned higher than the other, the way her eyes seemed to narrow without looking angry unless she really was, and even the proper portioning of her lips as she smirked.

He began on his last page, sketching in the center surrounded by samples of her eyes, her smile, her hands. His pencil started forming the lines that would come together to create her. His eyes flickered up from the page and his moving pencil to study her before returning back to the drawing.

She was lying on her side, her head falling onto the pillow to face him. Her eyes were hidden by their lids as she slept soundly and peacefully. Her arms were laced together, hands positioned beneath her cheek like a second pillow. Her legs were curled up and she was formed into a graceful ball. Her hair was pushed away from her face as light from the window poured in to act as a spotlight. She was more beautiful than a first snow. More beautiful than they sky after a rainstorm, a rainbow ribbon wrapping itself around the endless blue. More beautiful than anything he could ever conjure up in his imagination.

How he ached for her. Even now, when she belonged to him, a deep ache afflicted his chest when he caught a glimpse of her, when he thought about her, when they touched. But it was a wonderful ache and how he loved it. He hoped and prayed with every inch of him, with every feather that patterned his wings, that it would never go. If there truly was a God, and he was quite sure that there was one, he would never take that feeling from him. It was what he looked forward to when he opened his eyes to the morning and what kept him up with a wide smile stretched across his face. That wonderful ache that was January.

* * *

Storm felt as though there were two of her. There were two sides to her entire existence, in fact there were _two_ existences. On one hand she was Storm, the mutant teacher from Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Storm was strong and determined, a wonderful teacher loved by her students for she knew what it was like to be ostracized for her powers. But on the other very distant hand, she was Ororo Monroe, the sensual young woman who occasionally went out for a night on the town with her friends and confidants, as well as out on romantic dates with her fiancé.

She had first started thinking about this age old topic as she caught sight of herself in the glass as she walked past another exhibit. She touched her mocha skin, fingers moving up and running through her jagged, white hair. Though with oddly colored hair, men were still very much drawn to her. She was undeniably gorgeous though that was the least of her concerns. Even if she hadn't been engaged to Kurt she would still give any who approached the cold shoulder. And it wasn't because she was snobby or thought of herself as the loveliest female in the entire world. It was because though Kurt was trying very hard to help her deal with her anger, she still hated the men and women who were not like her. The ones who weren't mutants. And she hated them because of one simple fact. They hated her.

Lifting her head, forgetting the image of herself, she met eyes with Kurt himself. She wondered how long he had been standing there but went against asking and instead smiled, her frosted lips parting to reveal sparkling teeth. He returned her smile though it seemed as though he were always smiling. He was such a vibrant individual and that was one of the reasons Storm was drawn to him. He had such a positive outlook on life though he was also a mutant. She often scolded herself for being so hateful of humans. Kurt had more than enough trouble hiding his dark blue skin, long tail, and pointed teeth. And still, despite the rude remarks, he managed to keep his optimism going strong.

"How do you like the museum?" She asked warmly, taking his hand into her own. They began to walk through the corridors together, ignoring the stares and whispers. Kurt's baseball cap and tucking his tail into the inside of his jeans didn't seem to help much in disguising what he was.

"Very interesting. It is very large, so much to see. Almost another world in and of itself." He remarked, looking from exhibit to exhibit with awe splashed across his features. His golden eyes were lit up and sparkled from all of the excitement. Storm giggled, squeezing his hand.

"I'm glad you like it. The students seem to enjoy coming – or maybe they just like the out of class time." She watched as students of hers clustered together in groups, laughing and chattering about whatever they had to talk about. Some even mingled with the humans, and this pleased her. Just because she felt anger towards them didn't mean that they had to. She would rather they were untainted anyhow.

"Ororo," he had taken to using her real name, "what is troubling you?" Kurt stopped and turned towards her, his hand moving to take hold of her face. She leaned into his touch and sighed heavily, closing her eyes as if to shut out everyone and everything else besides the two of them.

"I just wish that they could accept me. I wish I didn't have to be two different people, two very different people." She explained, realizing that trying to make the entire world disappear wasn't happening. She opened her eyes.

"Give them a chance Ororo. Not all of humanity dislikes mutants." He told her softly, understanding just who she was referring to though she was rather vague. He knew of her anger. He stroked her skin, bringing her head closer and placing a kiss on her forehead. He rubbed the back of her head, ruffling her playful hair. She offered a smile.

And then suddenly there were shouts coming from one of the exhibits nearby. Storm looked towards where the distress was coming from, immediately rushing towards the place with Kurt hot on her heels. Many others were gathering around to watch, the both of them pushing through to the front. Storm could see Rogue and Kitty watching the odd display. A lone boy stood in front of two other boys, his fingers curling and moving in quick, fluid motions. The two teenagers appeared to be under some sort of control, punching each other and even hitting themselves. Storm realized then that the boy was a mutant. She was about to take action when suddenly a teenage girl shoved her way through the crowd.

"Jack!" She cried, bounding into the room. Without another word she raised her hands, also moving her fingers as the boy had been doing. Almost instantly the two teens stopped beating each other, rubbing the places that were sore from the blows. Everyone stared, jaws dropped and eyes wide. Storm knew it was time to take action.

"Lei vuole prendere arrestato ancora?" _(Do you want to get arrested again?)_ The girl suddenly asked as Storm approached the two. She was puzzled that they were speaking a different language and paused. She wondered if they would be able to understand her but as she heard people beginning to become hostile, she decided it didn't matter.

"Rilassare gennaio, quelle borse di doccia prendevano un poco troppo vicino a quelle ragazze. Hanno avuto bisogno dell'aiuto." _(Relax January, those douche bags were getting a little too close to those girls. They needed help.)_ He answered, nodding towards Rogue and Kitty as they also approached. He smiled at them.

"Hey, thanks a lot for that. Those creeps were…well, creeps." Rogue laughed. Kitty elbowed her and she shot her a look. "What?"

"I don't think they understand English." She answered. But before Rogue could apologize or try to communicate, Jack suddenly held up a hand and shook his head.

"We understand English. The name is Jack." He stuck out the hand he had been holding out, eyes flickering towards the exhibit entrance where security guards were entering, mauled by people who claimed to be witnesses to the whole affair. That bought them some time. "But there'll be time for introductions later 'cause right now I think I'm wanted."

"We can talk later. Right now we need to get you two out of here." Storm said, coming to her senses. She turned to Kurt. "Get these two back to the school and I'll bring the rest of the students. Hurry."

* * *

Angel looked up from his desk, watching his students working ardently on their projects. Most of them were using easels, painting with bright colors what object they had picked to use on the table stretched out before them. Others were molding clay, rubbing and rolling until it was to the texture that satisfied them. And still others were taking photographs from different angles and using different lighting to capture the emotions that they wished to. That was why Angel loved art – anything was possible and it was absolutely acceptable to be different from everyone else. Just like he was.

He himself was feeling rather frustrated however, staring blankly at the sketchpad in front of him. He had just bought himself a brand new one and couldn't seem to find the right model for this one. He had used many different objects for his other pads: an apple, the mansion itself, the willow tree, a canary he had made friends with, and many others. But this time he was stuck. He needed to sketch something different for a change. Or perhaps…some_one_.

He had never in his life drawn people, well, without them knowing. He had used to take his papers and utensils to parks and on buses to use people without their knowledge. He would draw pictures of old ladies using walkers, middle aged men carrying brief cases, mothers carrying groceries, and little kids playing with their toys. But never had he used a model, the same model, over and over again. Never had he actually been emotionally attached to them in any way. They were simply people.

Ever since he had refused the cure his father had invented, he had stayed at the school to be a teacher. He had felt safe and welcome there, unlike when he was out in the real world with the human people. There he had to keep his mutation a secret, hiding his wings inside of his trench coat. There it was hard to shed feathers without being noticed or stared at. But at the school he was allowed to be himself.

He looked out the window as if looking for some sort of inspiration, when all of a sudden the door to the art room opened. Actually it wasn't an 'art room' per say. It was actually the greenhouse located in the garden at the back of the school. But it was a perfect place to work except for the fact that it got very hot there.

"Warren, I could use your help." Kurt said from the door. Most of the students greeted him and he smiled, waving. "Hello students."

"Class dismissed for today. Tomorrow I want you to continue working with your object, tonight refresh yourselves." Angel stood up and watched as the students filed out of the room, leaving their unfinished work for him to look after. He would usually stay and study each piece of work, admiring each one and the students' talent. They all seemed to like his class a lot.

Kurt then ushered in two others once the greenhouse was empty. They both looked so much alike that Angel concurred quite quickly that they were related in some form or fashion, possibly even twins. They both shared the same sun kissed skin and dark, chocolate colored eyes.

The male was tall, at least six foot three, a wide grin spread across his face. His hair was colored a dark shade of brown, nearly black, and was formed into natural spikes all over his head. He wore nothing out of the ordinary; a simple pair of denim jeans and a slightly oversized baseball shirt.

But the female was very much unique. She was much shorter than the male and Kurt, and Angel knew that she would be shorter than him as well. Her hair fell an inch or two above her chest and was colored a reddish brown, the red standing out in the beams of sunlight peeking through the slanted roof. She either wished to stand out or simply liked to dress oddly for she wore a knee length dress with spaghetti straps and combat boots on her feet. The pattern of her dress reminded Angel of an antique Persian rug.

"This is the greenhouse, and this is Warren Worthington." Kurt nodded towards Angel as he stepped forward, and he cringed inwardly at the name. He still had not made peace with his father, even after saving his life, and did not usually go by his name. But Kurt had a thing for using the mutants 'God given' names.

"Worthington eh? Wouldn't happen to be related to Warren Worthington ll?" The male wasted no time, but his tone was nothing but friendly as he stuck his hand out towards Angel. He accepted it, giving him a firm shake.

"Unfortunately. But you can call me Angel." He answered, smiling.

"The name is Jack. Jack Frost actually. Yeah I know, everyone just has to make a joke but I don't mind. I've heard almost every one. But uh," Jack suddenly moved his fingers and the female beside him jerked her hand out towards Angel, "you can call me Geppetto. At least, that's what others have called me."

The female immediately seemed to retaliate, her hand jerking backwards. She shot Jack a vicious glare, narrowing her eyes and setting her jaw. Angel and Kurt would have been confused had they not been mutants themselves. They realized right away that clearly, Jack's power had something to do with manipulating the bodies and actions of others. As if he were a puppeteer.

Angel turned his attention towards the female. She had not extended her hand to him on her own and he wondered if she were the shy, silent type as he was. He himself had always been mellow and often kept to himself. He was perfectly content sketching in his pad alone then joining the other for a night out, though he occasionally went with them. But even then he would have rather been somewhere much quieter and not as wild.

He offered his hand, still smiling. He noticed that she seemed reluctant to extend her own. He was not offended in the least, instead he wondered as to why this was. He immediately assumed that she was not fond of others, perhaps because of her mutation. Perhaps she shied away from others because of it.

"Non essere timido." _(Don't be shy.)_ Angel noticed Jack nudge her. He also noticed that he had an accent which was even more prominent when he spoke the language. He spoke it so quickly that he wondered if even an Italian would have been able to decipher what he had said.

She cautiously moved her hand forward, fingers slipping slowly into his. His eyes followed them until her hand was in his though he could barely feel it there. As he gripped it gently, shaking it with great care, he dared to look up into her eyes. They seemed to block out everyone and everything, not wanting to let anything in, not wanting to let anyone see inside of her. Secrets were buried there.

"January." Her voice was soft and she too spoke with an accent intertwining with her words. It was almost lulling.

Angel opened his mouth to speak but she took her hand back before he could. She averted her eyes and focused instead on the floor in front of her. It seemed to do a very good job of capturing her interest. He decided to leave her be for the time being, and turned his attention towards Kurt and Jack.

"So what did you need my help with?" He asked, remembering Kurt's words as he had entered earlier. He suddenly remembered that he had been out with Storm on the field trip to the museum.

"There was a problem at the museum-"

"These two jerks were getting a little too friendly with two girls, so I…_persuaded_ them to back off. I assume they go here, those girls, and I sincerely hope so. I have my sights set on the very, _very_ pretty one with the white streaks." Jack interrupted Kurt to tell his own tale before a different one could be.

_Rogue_. Angel thought, shaking his head with a chuckle. If ever there were any of the female students to have been hit on or admired most it was her. Now that she and Bobby had broken up, most of the male students at the school were pining for her. Though some were turned off since her mutation had returned…

"Ororo is bringing the students and she might need help. I was wondering if you could show Jack and January around while I go back."

"Sure." Angel thought about poor Storm surrounded by all of those teenagers all by herself. But he knew she was perfectly capable of taking care of things by herself, after all, she had taken over the school after Xavier's passing.

"Thank you Warren." He turned towards Jack and January with a blindingly white smile. "I will see the both of you later."

And with that he was suddenly gone with a flash of light as though lightning had struck the very spot where he stood, and bluish-gray smoke hovered in his place. Jack pointed towards it, mouth agape though January seemed oblivious to it.

"That was sweet." He then looked to Angel as though he were supposed to do something absolutely amazing. "What about you? What's your power?"

"Come on, I should show you the rest of the place." Angel walked past the two, opening the door leading out of the greenhouse and into the garden slash courtyard. Now that he was out of the contained confinement that was the art room, he was able to shed his overcoat. He slipped out of the ball and chain, if you will, and allowed the garment to fall to the ground behind him. His wings immediately spread and it felt as though he were stretching out his arms after a long while of being unable to.

Everyone had their own opinions about Angel's wings. Most of the mutant females who saw them swooned over him, beginning to touch his white feathers and asking him to take them for a ride sometime. The humans were revolted and disgusted, especially when feathers shed and fell to the ground as though he were an agitated pigeon. Angel himself was unsure of what to think about them, he simply though them as a part of him. And he refused to ever give them up.

"Whoa." Angel turned his head to see Jack's fingers carefully grabbing a hold of his feathers. His eyes were wide and ran over the two wings spanning out a fair distance. He was amazed but he also wondered how he was wearing a shirt. He then spied the two holes cut out of his wife beater and let go of the feathers. "Those are awesome."

"Think so?"

"Jan, so che lei riguarda pronto a te stesso lanciare a questo fusto di un eh di uomo?" _(Jan, I know you're about ready to throw yourself at this hunk of a man eh?)_ Jack elbowed her playfully but the look she gave him was exasperated and annoyed.

Angel sensed that whatever had been said was meant to be a joke but apparently, January didn't think it was very funny. He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, shyly looking away from the two while she continued to look at Jack as though he were an irritating itch.

"Well, why don't I show you the mansion."

The three of them went into the mansion, Angel leading the tour though Jack walked beside him. He seemed eager to see whatever he was going to be shown.

"Are you and January brother and sister?" Angel asked. He figured that the two would probably become new tenants at the school and decided now was a good time to get to know each other. Soon, all of the teachers and students would be wanting to meet them.

"We aren't twins, if that's what you mean, but yeah. Everyone always thinks we're twins, don't know why. I'm clearly more good looking than her." Jack grinned, pointing his thumb in the direction of his sister. But then he suddenly formed a fist with the same hand, hitting himself upside the head. Angel was confused, until he turned his head and saw the smirk on January's face.

"You have the same power as your brother?" Angel asked, watching out of the corner of his eye as Jack frowned, rubbing the spot he had hit himself at. She simply shook her head to answer the question, the smirk disappearing and instead the stoic expression resuming.

"She can control the mutations of others, but only for a certain amount of time." His fist nearly connected with the same place it had before, but he had been expecting it, and moved his fingers to instead take control of his sister. He had her march up ahead of him and Angel before he released her – only to have his fist collide with his head again. He sighed, giving up.

Angel was amused by the brother and sister. He himself had been an only child though he had always though having a sibling around would be fun. He could see now that he had missed out on a lot of fun that could have been had.

He led the two down the halls and to the foyer. Some of the students were sitting on the stairs leading up to the other levels of the mansion while some were simply passing through. The girls seemed to be rather smitten with Jack, smiling as they passed or pausing to introduce themselves. And Jack didn't discourage them.

"Hi, I'm Rory." One of the girls offered her hand, and was pleasantly surprised when Jack raised it to his face and kissed her knuckles as though he were a prince greeting a princess. She giggled in delight and the other girls surrounding her all tried to offer their hands at the same time.

"Che il bel nome per una bella ragazza. My name is Jack." _(What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.)_

"Ooh, an accent!"

While the girls all drooled over the Italian, January took a seat on the stairs. She rested her chin on her fists, elbows perched upon her knees. She was getting a few looks from some of the boys but none of them approached and for that she was glad. Well, only _one_ did.

Angel sat on the stair above January so that his wings wouldn't invade her personal space. He wasn't sure but from the way she acted, he guessed that she appreciated her own space. He wondered if he were violating it at the moment but since she didn't move he stayed where he was.

"Your brother looks like he's living it up with all of that attention." He nodded towards Jack when January turned her head slightly to look at him. She nodded in agreement, a faint smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"He thinks he's an Italian stallion." She said in the same soft, soothing voice. Angel laughed and he could hear her laughing a bit as well, though it sounded tired and dry. As though she didn't laugh very often or she simply didn't know how to. He was about to say something when suddenly the cell phone in his jeans pocket vibrated. She heard it and turned to look at him once more as he stood, fishing for the annoying little box.

"Sorry, not my idea." He dug the phone out and saw Storm's number displayed across the screen. He opened it up. "Hey Storm."

"Hey Angel. We're on our way back to the mansion, I just wanted to check in and make sure that everything is alright." He could barely hear her over the sounds of teenagers talking and laughing in the background.

"Everything is fine, I was just showing Jack and January around."

"I think it would be best if they stayed with us at the mansion. Kurt told me that when he talked to Jack, he said that he and his sister had nowhere to go. Could you take them to their rooms? I know that both eight and nine are open, nine is beside yours."

"Sure, no problem."

"Thanks Angel. We should be there soon." Angel snapped the phone shut and returned it to the dark hole in his pocket. The girls were dispersing and Jack had finally made his way to the stairs with a wide grin.

"I think I'm gonna like it here."


	2. The Claws Come Out

Chapter 2 – The Claws Come Out

**Chapter Synopsis: Jack tries to get settled in but his sister seems a bit more reluctant. After a confrontation between the two, she storms out and runs into another mutant. And these two begin to start a friendship.**

& Key Points: Don't worry! The friendship between Logan and January is strictly platonic. The two share no feelings for each other. Remember – this is an Angel OC story. &

brookie666: Thanks for being the first reviewer! You win a night with Angel but then he must come home to me. Haha. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who hates Bobby and Kitty. Go us! We should form a hate club or something.

Cries In Vain: I really like the penname. Really cool. Well I'm glad you like January's character. Originally she was supposed to have black hair with a blue streak but number one, Rogue has the streaks and two, I can't see Angel with someone with too dark of hair. Well here's the update.

angels-wings42: I really like Jack's character too. Total smart ass and a huge flirt. Plus he has an Italian accent. Whoa baby. Haha. No I am NOT falling in love with my own character. I'm too smitten with Angel whom yes, is very hot. It would take a long while to say how hot. Well here's the update!

Anaharath: Thanks for the review! Glad you think it's cool.

Rogue stepped off of the bus and breathed in, closing her eyes to everything around her and letting out a contented sigh with a pretty smile playing with her glossed lips. She couldn't help the feeling of happiness that had suddenly possessed her. She hadn't felt this happy about anyone since she had dated Bobby. It seemed almost unreal. When they had parted ways, Rogue had become very _in_ to being single. She spent nearly every night out on the town with Kitty, dancing with any and every guy that approached her with no strings attached. And she loved it…until the moment she had met Jack.

She hadn't spent longer than ten minutes in the guy's presence and for some reason she found it very hard to forget his face, his voice, his smile. He had been so cavalier, so valiant, when he had stood up for her and Kitty in the museum. He had also been very charming afterwards, his Italian accent alluring and attractive. She wondered what he had thought of her if he had thought about her at all.

It was true that she was very good friends with Kitty, but it was also true that she had been one of the main factors in her and Bobby's breakup. Even after the two had given themselves to each other a year before on Christmas Eve, he admitted to feeling something for Kitty though she made it clear to Rogue that she didn't have any interest in him. It was all a big train wreck of a mess.

With a less contented sigh, Rogue felt the regret from having sex with Bobby wash over her again. It had been when the mutation was still apparently 'cured' and at the time it seemed like something that they both really wanted to do. It all seemed so romantic: lying wrapped in each other's arms in Bobby's bed while the snow fell outside in the dark night sky. But afterward, when problems started to arise, the both of them agreed that they had really done it to see if it would help to smooth out the rough patches in their relationship. And it hadn't.

"What's up Rogue?" Kitty asked suddenly, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. She had heard all of the sighs and was trying to decipher whether or not they were supposed to mean something or if it was nothing. She smiled when Rogue suddenly turned her head towards her.

"Nothing. Just thinking is all." She answered with her cute, Southern drawl. Ever since she had seen Kitty skating with Bobby, she had refrained from sharing too much information with her. She felt as though the gap was still there between them and wasn't sure she wanted to fix it.

Kitty accepted the answer and the two of them followed the flood of students back into the mansion. Storm had told all of them that classes would be dismissed for the day, due to the fact that she would be busy with the two newcomers, and so all of the students were making their ways to different parts of the mansion with their friends. The two girls walked up the stairs, heading towards the room they shared to get changed. They had planned on spending the night out at Hustlers', their favorite dance club.

As they walked down the hall towards their room, Rogue spotted one of the doors open, Angel standing outside of it. But it wasn't him that she was looking at. Her eyes focused on Jack, who was also standing in the doorway. And there was a girl standing at his side. The same one from the museum. Rogue's shoulders slumped and her smile was pulled down. She had forgotten about that girl. She wondered if the two were involved. But as she continued to look at Jack, he suddenly flickered his eyes in her direction and she froze. He smiled stunningly and she nearly died when he winked. That was more than just a friendly look. She knew those kinds of looks, the same ones she got from guys who danced with her.

"Come on Rogue. What's with you?" Kitty tugged at her arm, dragging her friend into their room. But not before she peeked over her shoulder and returned the smile, hoping that the wind hadn't messed with her hair too badly.

* * *

Jack watched the good looking girl disappear behind the door, still wearing the grin that she had somehow tickled his lips to form. He still hadn't properly introduced himself and planned on doing that as soon as possible. He could see his sister looking up at him, having seen that exchange, and smirking as she usually did.

"Storm wanted to meet you both, she asked me to bring you to her office once you've freshened up." Angel pointed down the hall. "The bathrooms are just down the hall. There are towels, soap, and other stuff like that in the closet."

"Thanks a lot. But I'll have to go back and-"

"Your things? If you'll give me the address, Kurt will just go and retrieve them if you don't mind."

"That would be cool. There isn't much anyways, but the address is-"

"Non dargli l'indirizzo. Sapranno dove viviamo." _(Don't give him the address. They'll know where we live.)_ January suddenly said, taking hold of Jack's arm. The look on her face seemed horrified, her eyes filled with worry and her cheeks tinting pink as if she were slightly embarrassed. Or ashamed.

"Dunque che?" _(So what?)_

"Loro. Volontà. Sapere. Dove. Noi. Vivere. Ed in ogni modo, perché abbiamo bisogno delle nostre cose? Non stiamo qui noi sono? Possiamo non." _(They. Will. Know. Where. We. Live. And anyways, why do we need our things? We aren't staying here are we? We can't.)_

Angel noticed that her voice was beginning to sound pleading and desperate. She seemed rather upset, still gripping her brother's arm and trying very hard to convince him of something. He saw all of this while he awkwardly stood there, not understanding a word being spoken.

"Parleremo di questo quando l'Angelo parte. La calma per favore giusta giù." _(We'll talk about this when Angel leaves. Please just calm down.)_ Jack gently unhinged his sister's hand from his arm, eyeing the inside of the room. She seemed reluctant to do so, but quietly went inside.

"If there's a problem-"

"There isn't. 6146 Dixon Avenue. And tell Kurt not to worry if he can't find the place quick enough. It's there." Jack assured Angel, who was still feeling like an intruder. He wanted to know why January was so distressed.

"Well if you're sure. I'll come back to check on you later on. Are you all settled?"

"Yeah, thanks man." Jack gave Angel a good thump on the back, even making him jump a little, as he was surprised. They both exchanged friendly smiles before Angel left Jack to tend to whatever he and his sister needed to discuss.

Jack went into the bedroom, closing the door. It happened to be the room he would be staying in – eight. But for the moment he knew he and his sister had some things to talk about. He prepared himself, knowing that she would defend her reasoning and that she would be very upset with him. He sighed heavily and walked towards her.

"Che diranno Jack? Eravamo perfettamente bene prima che abbiamo incontrato queste persone ed adesso tutto l'improvviso abbiamo bisogno di un luogo per stare? Abbiamo un luogo per stare. Non è come se siamo senzatetto ed ancora lei fa sembra come siamo un caso di carità. Adesso ci compatiranno e vuole ci aiutare. Ancora - non abbiamo bisogno dell'aiuto!" _(What will they say Jack? We were perfectly fine before we met these people and now all of sudden we need a place to stay? We have a place to stay. It isn't as if we're homeless and yet you make it sound like we're a charity case. Now they'll pity us and want to help us. Again - we don't need help!)_ She spit all of that out in no time at all, whipping around to face him from across the other side of the bed.

"Lei ha dimenticato che il luogo che stiamo è esattamente che non lei chiamerebbe umano? Non possiamo vivere quella maniera più." _(Have you forgotten that the place we've been staying isn't exactly what you would call humane? We can't live that way anymore.)_ Jack answered. He was tired of moving he and his sister to the run down homes they were used to living in. He wanted a better life, even more so for her. She _needed_ a better life.

January walked around the bed and stood in front of him, poking him in the middle of his chest with her index finger. Her eyes were narrowed and angry though all he was trying to do was give her the best that he could give her.

"Lei non si è mai lamentato prima. Non mi sono mai lamentato. Siamo stati sempre felice. Perché deve cambiare adesso?" _(You've never complained before. I've never complained. We've always been happy. Why does it have to change now?)_

"Felice? Ciò è che lei chiama la vita che viviamo? Ciò è perché lei ha fatto questo?" _(Happy? Is that what you call the life we've been living? Is that why you did this?)_ Jack grabbed her wrist and flipped it towards her so that she could see the scar. The scar that stood out from the rest of her sun kissed skin. This part of her skin was raised and colored a lighter shade, almost pink. Upon seeing it she ripped herself from his grasp and fell back onto the bed.

For the first time that whole day, Jack frowned. He knew how sensitive his sister was when it came to talking about her scars and yet he had brought them up. But he had been right. It was proof that the life they had been living had been insufficient and anything _but_ happy. She was just afraid and he knew that.

He sat down beside her on the bed, slowly putting his arm around her slender shoulders. Unlike others touch, she didn't stiffen underneath him. He rubbed her arm with his large hand, trying to come up with something to say to her. He wanted more than anything for her to be happy but it seemed as though she shied away from anything that could end up doing just that. His theory was again, that she was afraid. And if he needed to, he would help her confront that fear before something bad happened…again.

"Sono spiacente. Voglio appena ciò che è migliore per lei." _(I'm sorry. I just want what's best for you.)_ He said gently. Instead of the reaction he was hoping for, in which she accepted his apology, she jumped up just as quickly as she had sat down.

"If you want what's best for me then maybe you should have listened. But, as usual, you're only concerned about yourself, _Jack_." She grabbed hold of the doorknob and threw the door open quite violently, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"Jan, I-"

"I'm going to go and see if I can get home before they can. I guess I'm just going to have to get used to conforming to what you want to do." She then disappeared, slamming the door in an incensed manner.

Jack sighed, his face falling into his open hand. He closed his eyes, knowing deep down that his sister hadn't meant the things she had said. Well, most of them. He knew that she knew that he cared about her, that he was a loving brother. He did everything for her. But he also knew that she really _did_ wish that he had listened to her when she tried to tell him not to give away their address. He knew he probably should have just gone himself but he felt that if he and his sister had gone, they wouldn't have come back.

He sat on the bed for a few more minutes to try and collect himself. But then he knew he had to go after her and so he got to his feet and went to the door. He opened it up and was about to close it behind him when he caught sight of something rather spectacular just across the hall. The girl he had seen, the one with the white streaks, was standing outside of her room, back against the wall while she examined one of her fingernails. She looked up immediately, and seemed just as struck as he was.

He accessed her choice of clothes, raising an eyebrow as his gaze traveled from the very bottom to the very top. On her feet were a pair of red heels, paired over black tights that clung tight to her shapely stems. Her short, black mini skirt was shiny and appeared to be fashioned from foe leather. Her top was long sleeved and striped red and black to match her excellently coordinated outfit. He couldn't help when his eyes ran over the neckline where her cleavage was, well…_eye-catching_.

It was as if neither really knew how to react. They just continued to stare at each other, mouths opened as if to say something but no words came. It seemed as though one were finally going to break the silence when someone else decided to do it for them.

"Hey Rogue I'm ready so-oh." Kitty closed the door behind her and saw Jack there. She smiled at him. "You're the guy from earlier today."

"Yeah, Jack." He offered his hand, shaking hers. He returned the smile, only because he was so amused by her electric green tights and loud, pink top. He wondered if her good looking friend ever wished to give her fashion advice.

"I'm Kitty." She let go of his hand and nodded towards Rogue, who was still speechless. "This is my non coherent friend, Rogue."

Rogue shot Kitty an evil look after that little comment, and almost didn't see Jack offering his hand to her as well. She jerked back impulsively, feeling a bit bad upon seeing the slightly hurt look cross his face. She was quick to retrieve her gloves from her skirt pocket, pulling them on impatiently.

"Sorry," she finally spoke, offering her own hand, "I just can't…touch other people."

Although he was surprised, Jack was glad that it hadn't been something else. He shook her hand, daring to give it a squeeze before letting go, and by the blush that invaded her cheeks, he was sure she had felt it.

"We should get going Rogue." Kitty pressed her friend, tugging her sleeve. Both Jack and Rogue were highly annoyed that she was blind to the fact that they were having a moment. So Rogue took matters into her own hands, trying to get rid of her friend for the time being.

"Why don't you go ahead, I have to grab something. I'll meet you in the foyer in five minutes. Alright?" She tried to stress the need for alone time with her widened eyes, darting them quickly from Jack to her friend. Finally she got the message.

"Oh, oh, _oh_." Kitty seemed embarrassed, running a hand through her short hair. She nodded, scampering a little ways down the hall before turning to say goodbye to Jack, which he returned with a wave, before disappearing. Rogue shook her head, letting laughing along with Jack.

"Sorry, she can be a little…" She shrugged her shoulders, still laughing.

"Stop it." Jack suddenly said, though he was still grinning. Rogue was confused by his request, furrowing her brow and waiting for him to continue.

"Stop what?"

"That's twice you've apologized. The only thing you should apologize for is being so attractive and not even having the good sense to invite me along, wherever you're going." He chuckled under his breath when the blush reappeared.

"Well you didn't even give me the chance to. But I would love to have you along." She offered, purposefully adding a sensual tone to her Southern accent. As she had hoped, it seemed to dazzle him for a second. "How does it feel?"

Jack managed to form a response though he was trying very hard to keep from pushing this girl up against the wall and kissing her. What he didn't know was that if he had done it, she wouldn't have minded in the least.

"How does what feel?"

"Using your charming accent to…well…charm people." She took a step towards him, strategically placing both hands on her hips and shifting her weight to one side while peeking up at him from under dark lashes.

"I'm not complaining." He slowly reached for a section of her snow white hair, moving his thumb over it to feel how soft it was. "I'd like to know how this happened. Not many girls can have white hair and look so beautiful."

"It's a long story, but if you'd like…you could come with me and Kitty and I'd love to tell you." She batted her lashes, hoping her flirtatious invite was enough to entice him into joining her.

Jack groaned inwardly, releasing her hair. He had nearly forgotten January, and knew that he had to run after her. It was his older brother duty. Boy was he going to give her an earful when he found her…

"It's hard to resist, but my sister ran out and I should go after her." His tone proved that he was sorry he couldn't go, and that it wasn't just an excuse. But Rogue wasn't about to let him go.

"Yeah I saw her. She looked pretty mad. You two have a fight?" When he nodded, she continued. "Look, just a bit of advice, whenever I blow up, I like time to be by myself so that I can cool down. Why don't you let her go and come out with us. When you get back she'll have had time to relax and think things through."

"Are you just saying that because you want me to come?"

"Well, yeah, but it's also true. You should let her have some time alone, whether or not you come with me. But I hope you do come with me." She looked up at him hopefully.

Jack cracked a smile.

* * *

January threw the door open to the garage, having already accidentally walked into the kitchen and also into the gym. She knew that Kurt could somehow transport or something, but was hoping that he hadn't gotten to the house before her. She was planning on taking one of the cars, having learned to hotwire them among many other talents she had picked up on.

She was angry with her brother for actually thinking that they could live there. Where had he been their whole lives? They didn't just accept help. They never did that. They were always on their own and it had been working. Why did it have to change all of a sudden.

She could see that she had many choices as she looked around the garage. She didn't really care what kind of car she took as long as it was fast and as long as it worked. She didn't have time to fix any of them. But then again, somebody already was.

January suddenly heard something metal drop on the cement floor and jumped. Her eyes flickered towards the motorcycle where she could now see someone kneeling down on the opposite side of it.

"Damnit! Damn it all to hell!" The person was definitely male and definitely mad. As he stood up, she saw that he was very tall and was indeed mad. His hair was oddly cut, made to look like two spikes sticking up on both sides, while his sideburns were unkempt and fuzzy. A cigar was being tightly held between his lips, smoke sifting from the end.

It was then that he seemed to take notice of something. His nostrils flared just slightly as he appeared to be smelling something. Or _for_ something. His eyes met January's a split second later and with a quick SNIKT, there were suddenly metallic like claws protruding from the skin in between his fingers. Three on each side.

"Who are you?" He demanded, though his speech was a bit hard to comprehend with that cigar in his mouth.

January commanded his claws to return to their resting place inside of his body with her fingers, feeling threatened with them out. And she didn't like to feel threatened. She scowled at him, wondering just how many times a day he popped his claws out when someone happened to cross paths with him. It was quite annoying.

The man looked shocked as he studied one of his hands. But she was surprised when a look of annoyance suddenly crossed his face. If anyone was allowed to be annoyed it was her. He had just threatened her with knives when all she did was walk into the garage. Did he really think that she was there to ambush him or something? Did he think he was the President of The Untied States?

"Don't tell me you're just like Magneto." He grumbled, pulling the cigar from his mouth. He then placed it in the palm of his hand, twisting it against his skin. January's eyes widened as she watched him put the cigar out using his hand as an ashtray. Didn't that hurt? "Relax. Look."

He offered his hand to her and she was amazed to see the ashy, circular wound in the palm of his slightly trembling hand. She was about to retort with something along the lines of, "You're a psycho," when suddenly the wound began to shrivel up and close. New skin covered up where the bloody mess had been and it was as if it had never happened.

"First of all," she remembered his statement earlier, "I have no idea what a Magneto is." She noticed him snort when she said this and stopped, giving him the dirtiest scowl she could muster up. This seemed to amuse him further.

"You don't know _who_ Magneto is?" After he said this, they simply stood there, looking at each other. They both seemed to be waiting for the other to speak, the man becoming impatient quickly. "And second of all?"

She realized that he had been wanting to hear the rest of what she had to say but had decided not to continue. He was distracting her from getting home and she didn't want Kurt to beat her there.

"Well I was going to let you in on my mutation since you seem to assume it's something else, but now I don't think so. Muto fotte."

"What'd you just call me?" He asked, taking a step toward her. To say the least, January was startled that he had understood her. She took half a step backward, feeling a bit intimidated.

"You understand Italian?" To this he chuckled, a smirk crossing his face.

"I don't have to know Italian to know when I'm being insulted. So what'd you call me anyway? Asshole? Dickhead?" He wiped his hands off on his jeans, oil staining the denim. She returned the smirk with her own.

"Actually I went with dumb fuck. I could go further if you wanted…" She was only half surprised when he laughed out loud, but it was deep and husky. He had seemed to think the whole confrontation was humorous.

"Well though I'd like to call you bitch, I guess I should know your name then?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"If I tell you my name, you have to let me take one of these cars." She glanced around at the display of vehicles. She figured he must have been the keeper of them or something, but she could have been wrong.

"What? Don't want to know my name?" He raised an eyebrow, wondering why she needed a car.

"I could care less what your name was." She replied icily. "So do we have a deal?"

"Where are you going?"

"None of your business sideburns!" She snapped angrily. She became even angrier when he chuckled again, shaking his head.

"We don't have a deal anymore darlin', because I just figured out who you are." Giving up, January turned around to head out of the garage when he suddenly spoke again. "You live at 6146 Dixon Avenue, you're that girl."


End file.
